Common tower policy likely to be finalized in Q2 —DICT

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Monday said the planned common tower policy is on track to be finalized in the second quarter of the year.

“We are expecting, as the Secretary has said, the policy should be out as soon as possible. So we’re trying to look at the second quarter of this year,” DICT Assistant Secretary Alan Silor told reporters in a press conference in Quezon City.

The planned common tower policy seeks to free telecommunications companies from costly capital expenditures in building communication towers.

DICT has been at odds with Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs Ramon “RJ” Jacinto, who last year said the government needs to accredit only two common tower companies.

He has since taken the position of accommodating up to four common tower providers, but maintained that existing telcos must be prohibited from building their own infrastructure.

DICT remains firm on its stand that the market must dictate how many common tower providers must be accredited.

“‘Yung mga common towers mismo say na the more the better. The telcos also agreed,” said DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio, Jr.

The department has signed agreements with eight prospective common tower providers so far, and more companies are in the pipeline.

Those that have signed a memorandum of understanding are ISOC ECP Infrastructures Inc., Singapore’s ISON ECP Tower Pte. Ltd., IHS Towers, China Energy Engineering Corp., Malaysia’s edotco Group, RT Telecom Sdn. Bhd., Aboitiz InfraCapital, and MGS Construction Inc.

“Dito ngayon lumalabas ‘yung MOU. The MOU is good for one year, so who among the tower companies can give the best business, ‘yun mag magsu-survive,” Rio said.

“‘Pag meron sa kanilang walang business na nakuha, then more or less, then puwede na i-eliminate ‘yun, or they can partner with tower companies,” he added.

Rio earlier said the country needs 50,000 more towers within the next seven to 10 years to be able to catch up with the demand, and improve telecommunications services in the country.

Last year, he said the common tower policy should be in place by the end of 2018, but this did not materialize. —VDS, GMA News